Studio couch



sept 5 1944- w. w. wlLsoN 2,357,441

' l STUDIO codon Filed April 5, 1943 sheets-sheet 1 V lNvENToR. S Mba/wy h( M//Lsa/V Sept. 5,Y 1944. w. w. wlLsoN STUDIO coUCH Filed April 5, 1943 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 w. w. wlLsoN 2,357,141

sTDIo ooUcH Filed April 5, 1943 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTOR.

Patented Sept. 5, 1944 UMTEDvv STATES :f1-PATENT oFF-ICE STUDIQ `COUCH William W. Wilson, Memphis, Tenn.

Application April 5, 1943, Serial N0. 481,810

2 Claims.

This invention relates to studio couches which are to be used, at option, assofas or beds and in which a seat portion and a back portion are hinged together and are shiftably secured toa supporting base `or frame by arms, through which shift of the seat and back relatively to the base is accomplished in changing from sofa to bed,

releasing the latch by over-travel of the seat when the back has reached bed position.

It also relates to a resilient or spring structure for the seat and the back.

The objects of the present invention are:

To provide a brace or latch which will solidly brace between the back and seat when the back is in upright position, and which, when in such bracing position, will be lockedv against accidental displacement;

To provide locking means in connection with such a latch v'or brace which will automatically release the latch on over-travel of the seat after the back has been shifted to bed position, to allow return of the seat to bed position, and which will eifectually prevent re-engagement of the latch during return movement of the seat from such over-travel position to bed position;Y

To provide a resilient structure which may be used to replace the ordinary or other types of spring structures in the seat and back; and

To generally improve the detail and construction of such structures.

The means by which the foregoing and other objects are accomplished and the manner of their accomplishment will readily be understood from the 'following specification upon referenc to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is an end elevation of the base, the seat, and a portion of the back, with parts of each thereof broken away, and with the latch and bracing structure shown in sectional elevation, the back and seat being shown latched an braced in respective seat and back position.

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary sectional elevation taken on the line II-II of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a transverse sectional elevation of the base and back and a fragmentary portion of the seat taken on the center line of one of the springs, showing the back turned into bed position 'on the base, and the position ofthe seat when this is accomplished, and showing in dotted lines the release of the latch accomplished by over-travel of the seat beyond the position shown.

Fig. 4 is an enlarged longitudinal section of the latching end of one of the braces. y

Fig. 5 is a, front elevation showing approximately half of the base and the overlying spring structure of the seat; and

Fig. 6 a fragmentary plan of the same portion of the seat structure.

In these drawings all cushions and upholstery have been omitted, the supporting frame work only being shown.

Referring now to the drawings in which the various parts are indicated by numerals:

Il is a rectangular base having feet I3, which base supports a seat and back structure, both seat and back being of the same lengthas the base.

The seat frame comprises a pair of ends I5L which overlie and are adapted to rest on the opposite ends of the base. The ends l5 are rigidly connected by longitudinal members I9, 2|; respectively adjacent the front and rear of the ends. Y

The back frame comprises asimilar pair of ends 23, which aline with the ends of the seat and are similarly rigidly connected bylongitudinal members 2,5, and 21.

Secured on the inner sides of the seat frame ends I5 are members 29 whichA extend rearwardly of the back of the seat frame and overlap the inner sides of the lower, or front, portions of the back frame ends '23, to which they are hingedly secured by hinge pins 3|.

The hinge pins 3| also serve as hinge pins for arms 33, which extend downwardly and are hinged to the end members of the base by hinge pins 35. Additionally, 'the ends 23 of the back are connected by hinge pins 3l to arms 39-which extend downwardly andare connected by hinge pins '4| also to the end members of the base. Preferably the opposite ends of the arms 33 and 39 are inwardly cut from their opposite ends to provide slots 43 and are provided with clamping screws 45 to provide means for clamping the arm ends on their hinge pins and maintaining tightness as wear occurs.

The hinge pins 35 and 4| are so spaced'apart relatively to the length of the arms 33 and 39 and their points'of attachment to the seat and back that when the seat l5 is 4resting on the base il in seating position with the back in upright position, the front edge of the seat is substantially flush with the front edge of the base, whereas, when the back is turned to bed position, as in Fig. 3, the hinge joint between the seat and back is forwardly shifted and the seat and back are about equally supported by the base with the forward edge of the seat overhanging (not shown) the front of the base and the top or rear edge of the back overhanging the back of the base.

Secured to the lower edge of the longitudinal member 25 of the back is a forked bracket 41 which extends rearwardly therefrom. 49 are blocks secured to the longitudinal member 25 and the bracket to provide bracing means therefor, and 5| are triangular blocks affording additional bracing. 53 are brace members which are pivotally secured by hinge pins 55 to these brackets. 51 are identical forked brackets which are secured to the rear edge of the longitudinal member 2| of the seat and extend downwardY therefrom. Carried by the extending fork of this bracket are latch pins 59. The brace members 53 extend downwardly and forwardly from the hingepins 55 and rest on the latch pins 59 and are notched to provide shoulders 5| which engage against the pins 59 when the back is in upright position to brace the back in such position. The forward edges of the notches are sloped to provide raising cams 63 for disengaging the braces from the pinsv on over-travel movement of the latch.

The braces are interiorly grooved to provide in each `a channelway |55 in which is slidably disposed a latch lock 61, each channelway being completed by a cover plate 69 to complete a housing forthe latch lock 61. Each brace carries a pin 1I which engages a notch portion of the lock and limits outward movement thereof, preventing disengagement of the lock from the channelway. The locks are longitudinally slotted to provide slots 13 adapted to engage the pins 59 when the pins are in latched engagement with the shoulders- 6| of the latches, these slots being spaced inward from the under edge of the locks to leave locking bolts 15 which are cut away at their forward ends to leave entrance openings 11 into the slots 13. Forward of these openings the locks are of full depth of the channelways.

Mounted on the end members l5 of the seat frame, and rigidly secured'l thereto, are cap members 8| which extend inwardly from the end members to form overhanging shoulders, the l back being' provided with similar members 83.

The resilient or spring structure of' the seat and back are preferably substantially identical and are especially adapted to be made throughout of. wood. Each comprises a spaced pair of longitudinally disposed, elongated thin,flat, resilient strips 85, 81 which support and to which are solidly secured transversely extending thin resilient slats 89.

Underlying the resilient strips 85, 81, as typically illustrated in Fig. 5, are thin, flat resilient strips, as the strips 9|, which are rigidly secured at their opposite ends, through blocks 93, to the undersides of the flexible strips, as the strip 85, by screws 95, or otherwise, the strips 9| being downwardly bowed in the center, and held by such rigid securement of their ends in such bowed positions.

The resilient structures thus formed are supported by the longitudinal members I9, 2 I, of the seats, orA the similar membersl 25, 21 of the back and may be secured against lateral displacement therefrom, as by screws 91, or otherwise, as by strips |0'I, |03, Fig. 3, secured on and to the longitudinal member 25. At their opposite ends the longitudinal resilient strips 85, 81 underlie the cap members 8| which are secured along the end members I5 of the seat frame, or the similar members 83 which are secured to the end members 23 of the back frame, and are retained thereby against upward displacement, otherwise occurring from downward stressing of the center of the structure.

In assembling and using the device, the seat and back portions of the structure, hinged together by the pins 3|, are laid flat on the base and shifted until the arms 33 may be also eng-aged and secured by the same hinge pins, and the arms 39 are secured to the back ends 23 by the hinge pins 31. Braces 53 are pivotally secured to the brackets 41 by the hinge pins 55, and extended forwardly through the brackets 51, resting on the latch pins 59, the couch then being in. bed position.

To change to Seat position, the seat is raised to the position shown in Fig. 3, the braces 53 sliding along the latch pins 59 until the pins engage the latch lock shoulders B1-A, and displace the latch locks sufficiently to allow the brace ends to drop and the shoulders 6| thereof -to effect' engagement with the latch pins. The seat is then pulled back into seating position on the base, the braces moving the back into upright position, as shown in Fig. l, and this downward movement of the seat, through the arms 33 and 39, shifting the seat so that its front edge is flush with the front edge of the base.

As the movement of the seat toward horizontal and of the back toward upright position continues, the forward ends of the braces move lower than the rear hinged ends, and the latch locks slide downwardly and forwardly bringing the locking bolts 15 beneath the pins 59 and effect locking of the braces against disengagement until the seat be again raised to unlatching position;

To change again to bed position, the seat is lifted, again. to the position shown in Fig. 3,

V shifting the structure forward and -allowing the back to restl on the base. During this movement the forward ends of the braces are moved above the hinged ends and the latch locks shift downwardly toward such hinge ends, the latch lock bolts 15 clearing and releasing the latch pins and the latch shoulders 61 resting thereagainst. Futher movement of the seat is continued until the pins 59 sliding along the sloping shoulders 63 of the braces disengage the brace shoulders 6I from the pins 59 and the latch lock shoulders 61-A clear the pins and the latch locks shift downward to the dotted positions of Fig. 3, closing the notches in the braces against re-engagement of the pins.

Thereafter, the seat may be lowered into bed position on the base, the pins 59 sliding along the under side of the lock members and the braces.

I claim:

1. In a studio couch, including a seat frame, a back frame, and hinge means adjacent the tcp and front of the respective rear and lower edges of said seat and back, hingedly securing said seat and back together; bracing means for holding said back in upright position relatively to said seat, and for accomplishing shift of -said back to-bed position, comprising spaced units, each unit including forked brackets, respectively rigidly secured to said seat and extending downwardly, and to said back and extending rearwardly, from said hinge means, a. latch pin carried by said seat bracket and spaced below said hinge means, a pivot pin carried by said back bracket and spaced rearwardly from said hinge means, a brace hingedly mounted on said pivot pin and extending downwardly past and resting on said latch pin, said brace including a latch lock slidably mounted in its forward end for rearward movement on upward, and forward movement on downward inclination of said brace by seat shift, said brace adjacent its forward end being abruptly notched to effect a shoulder for bracing engagement with said latch pin, and, forwardly of said shoulder, said notch being outwardly and forwardly sloped to effect a disengaging cam; said brace being grooved rearwardly from its forward end to house said latch lock, said latch lock being housed in said groove and being of depth to prevent entrance of said latch pin into said brace notch, and intermediate its length being upwardly notched substantially to the depth of said brace notch to allow pin engagement with said brace shoulder, on register of said notches, and rearwardly slotted from said notch to effect a locking bolt adapted to underlie said latch pin on further forward shift of said.

latch lock.

2. In a studio couch, including a seat frame, a back frame, and hinge means adjacent the top and front of the respective rear and lower edges of said seat and back, hingedly securing said seat and back together; bracing means for holding said back in upright position relatively to said seat, and for accomplishing shift of said back to bed position, comprising spaced units, each unit including forked brackets, respectively rigidly secured to said seat and extending downwardly, and to said back and extending rearwardly, from said hinge means, a latch pin carried by said seat bracket and spaced below said hinge means, a pivot pin carried by said back bracket and spaced rearwardly from said hinge means, a brace hingedly mounted on said pivot pin and extending downwardly past and resting on ,said latch pin, said brace including a latch lock slidably mounted in its forward end for rearward movement on upward, and forward movementA on downward inclination of said brace by seat shift, said brace adjacent its forward end being abruptly notched to effect a shoulder for bracing engagement with said latch pin, and, forwardly of said shoulder, said notch being outwardly and forwardly sloped to effect a disengaging cam, said brace' being grooved rearwardly from its forward endto house said latch lock, said latch lock being housed in said groove and being of depth to prevent entrance of said latch pin into said brace notch, and intermediate its length being upwardly notched substantially to the depth of said brace notch to allow pin engagement with said brace shoulder, on register of said notches.

WILLIAM W. WILSON. 

